The Council of Advisers of the caretaker government Sunday finally approved the National Identity Registration Authority Ordinance 2008 with Home Ministry as the control ministry for providing the NID cards now under preparation, reports UNB.

As per the ordinance, the voter identity cards being provided by the Election Commission will be considered National ID card.

A regular weekly meeting of the council of advisers with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair also gave final approval to the draft of Bangladesh Labour (amendment) Ordinance 2008 with some amendments to Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.

Under the amended law, Chittagong and Mongla Dock workers management boards stand abolished. Instead, provision has been made for one trade union for the workers and employees employed by each port authority.

Earlier, the two ordinances had been approved in principle by the council of advisers of the caretaker government. Under the provision of new Ordinance on national identity, if anyone has more than one national ID card or provides false information, one will be given three months rigorous imprisonment or fined Tk 5,000.

And "if anybody commits national ID forgery and carries it knowingly, they will be awarded maximum seven years rigorous imprisonment and monetary punishment". Such crime will be dealt with as per the CrPc.

As per new Labour Ordinance, employees employed by the Chittagong and Mongla port authorities can form only one trade union in their respective domain. Previously, there was scope for forming as many trade unions as they liked.

Trade-union office cannot be set up inside any institution or within 200 meters, and the existing offices inside the institution will have to be removed within three months after the amended Ordinance takes effect.

Under the new Ordinance the Dock Workers Management Boards constituted by the Chittagong and Mongla Port Authorities will be abolished and the members of the boards gradually absorbed in the respective port authority.

In case of using deposited funds in the welfare fund, 50 percent of the funds will have to be deposited into the Workers Welfare Fund.

Earlier, the welfare fund was maintained by trustee board. Besides, the advisory council committee on public purchase apprised the council of advisers of the fixing of price at 430 US dollars per metric tonnes for the rest 4 lakh MT of rice to be imported from India, which is comparatively less than the present up-trend on the world market. "It is the lowest rate of rice on the world market," the meeting was apprised.

A delegation will go soon to New Delhi to sign the agreement on the rice import at the set rate. And it was agreed that rice would come in Bangladesh within 75 days of signing of the deal or within 60 days after opening import LC. The council of advisers also discussed ways of providing more income support for purchasing essential food items.

It was informed that one-lakh-MT rice would be coming on the market for Open Market Sale (OMS) in April. Members of the Advisory Council attended the meeting at the CA''s office. Cabinet Secretary, CA''s press Secretary and Secretaries concerned were also present.